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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29289807">I painted my face red, so you won't notice when I'm bleeding</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastel_dawn/pseuds/pastel_dawn'>pastel_dawn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The patterns of your heartbeat [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Smoking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:54:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,418</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29289807</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastel_dawn/pseuds/pastel_dawn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You can't help but feel like a tiny little human in front of everything.</p>
<p>Alcina doesn't see it like that.</p>
<p>Or, you just need a little peace of mind and Lady Dimitrescu provides you just that.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lady Dimitrescu (Resident Evil)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The patterns of your heartbeat [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2166771</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>457</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I painted my face red, so you won't notice when I'm bleeding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You watch the ash fall on the wet grass from your cigarette as it burns. The stick stands out between your lithe fingers as a dissonance between the usual figure associated with it and your cursed baby face. You don't seem like someone who smokes often and, in fact, you aren't. Unhealthy, you know it. You force yourself to care.</p>
<p>Your eyes fall to the river in front of you. The air is cold and foggy and the water flows violently against the rocks. Little splashes hit your face from time to time and you wince. Icy. Unwelcome distraction from your train of thoughts.</p>
<p>You have half a mind to sit down on the grass, but it's wet and chilly. You opt to lean against a tree. Even nature seems sad and spent today, or maybe you just have a sadness filter placed on your retinas. Dark green contrasts with the grey sky. Your eyes roam around, then up. Clouds are all blended in one fluffy blanket. Actually, the sun seems to never shine here, much to the favor of your favorite host now that you think about it.</p>
<p>Honestly, you don't know why Lady Dimitrescu let you live. </p>
<p>She found you freely walking around her territory like it was nothing, a few weeks ago. The first time you saw her your jaw fell so hard it reached the ground. The Lady was <em> beautiful. </em> Unnaturally tall, ivory skin, golden, shiny eyes. She resembled some actress from the 50's you couldn't recall. But along with her beauty, you instantly understood she was <em> dangerous. </em>You could tell by the way she looked at you.</p>
<p><em> "Why, hello." </em> She had greeted you cheerfully while your blood ran cold. <em> "I usually don't get many guests around here. How… peculiar." </em></p>
<p><em> "Must feel lonely." </em> You dared to say with a trembling voice, hands in your pockets. All your fight or flight - mostly flight - instincts were activating. <em> "If… uhm, if my presence is a bother, I'll go away. I was just wandering around."  </em></p>
<p>She hummed, noticing the way your eyes darted everywhere but at her face. <em> "Oh, no. It is as you say. It feels a bit lonely, sometimes. Why don't you come in for a while? I'll have tea prepared." </em></p>
<p>That's how you found yourself drinking tea with the Lady on almost a daily basis. You didn't talk much, preferring to just listen to her velvet voice and sip your tea.</p>
<p>Her daughters always looked at you both curiously. Of course, they didn't understand why she treated you with such high regards. Humans were mere prey to them. You always tried to not pay attention to them, unless it was requested of you.</p>
<p>You exhale, letting the smoke puff out as your mind drifts to short little memories of the time spent in the castle. Despite its inhabitants, it is so quiet. Sensing no other human presence is oddly relaxing to you. </p>
<p>"So weird." You whisper to yourself. "Broken hearts really do things to you, huh."</p>
<p>The ache in your chest makes a tear roll down quietly. You understand little by little why you like being in the castle with <em> her </em> that much. </p>
<p>You both are lonely souls, after all.</p>
<p>You hear a soft rustling of leaves and dry the tear with your sleeve. Being seen crying isn't your favorite thing at all. </p>
<p>"Here you are, my dear." Lady Dimitrescu's honey voice is candy to your ears. You turn your head to look at her and a little smile comes naturally to your face. "It took me a while to find you. You're so quiet even when alone."</p>
<p>She is referring to her vampire hearing, of course. </p>
<p>"I like it like that." You reply. "I like it for my existence to not make any sound. It suits me."</p>
<p>You avert your gaze but you can feel her smile. You tighten your denim jacket more around your hoodie. Cold. </p>
<p>"I didn't know you smoke." She states, coming near you. You feel so small compared to her. You wonder how it feels like to be in her place, looking at everyone and everything from above.</p>
<p>"I don't… it's just a rare occurrence. I bought a pack last year and it still lasts to this day." </p>
<p>"I see." </p>
<p>You both stare at the river. The background noise seems to disappear when she talks to you. The water is so loud, but you can hear her perfectly even if she whispers.</p>
<p>"It's curious to see you here and not around the castle." She catches your attention. </p>
<p>"I… I just needed a bit of peace of mind." You try not to let your voice quiver. You cling to that disgusting cigarette for dear life when all you want to do is just throw it away and let yourself fall, right here, right now.</p>
<p>"And why is that?" Lady Dimitrescu sounds genuinely curious. There is no mock in her voice, not the one you would expect from a predator. She doesn't feel <em> not human </em>to you. She never did, for some reason.</p>
<p>You hesitate a little. It's hard to speak.</p>
<p>"Why didn't you kill me?" You ask, locking gazes with hers. "Why did you let me live? I'm not different from the others. Just a tiny little human." It isn't the reason you're dying inside, but that question came naturally to you. </p>
<p>The Lady taps her hat and seems to ponder her answer. Of course, it isn't possible such a question was ever asked of her, so she has to think about it.</p>
<p>"You <em> are </em> different, though." She tells you as a matter of fact, and your eyes go wide. "I've piqued an interest in you, my dear. The first time I saw you, I felt <em> something </em> swirling inside you. I still do. You think your existence is quiet, to others. But not to me. I can <em> hear </em>it. I can hear the tempest going on inside of you. I can hear the desperation with which your heart pounds."</p>
<p>Those words had an effect on you, because you feel yourself crumbling down more by the second. Your sleeve comes to dry more tears, head hung low, body trembling. You still try not to make any noise.</p>
<p>"Tell me. Why didn't you stay away from me and from my castle, once you learned who I was? You had many occasions to do so, to go back to your real home. I don't think someone like you found a home in the village, not with the foolish people who lives in it." </p>
<p>You think about it. It wasn't just loneliness, no. There was something else. </p>
<p>"I lost my home many years ago, Lady Dimitrescu." You reply, gaze lost in the void. "I lost it to the people around me. Their words, sharp blades against my skin. Their kindness, fake. Once they found out who I really was, they called me a filthy sinner. I ran away from my family, from my friends, from my old life. Love isn't free on this Earth. It comes with a price. So I ran away. Tell me…" </p>
<p>You extinguish the cigarette on the naked ground. You watch the cinders die slowly and find an easy resemblance with how you feel. </p>
<p>"If I asked you to kill me, would you do that?"</p>
<p>You notice a flicker of something into her expression. She seems intrigued.</p>
<p>"I would."</p>
<p>Her hand comes to pat your head. You melt into her touch.</p>
<p>"But I doubt you really want it. So I won't."</p>
<p>You stand up, trembling, but feeling better somehow. Did she cast some kind of magic on you?</p>
<p>"You're different too, Lady Dimitrescu." You state. Her eyebrows shoot up. She definitely looks pleased. </p>
<p>"How so?"</p>
<p>You tighten your ponytail.</p>
<p>"You're the only one who can hear me."</p>
<p>She smiles so wide you can see her fangs poke out. You aren't scared anymore.</p>
<p>"No more smoking." She orders. "You're a mortal. It's bad for your lungs."</p>
<p>You let out a little giggle. "It was the last cigarette of the pack."</p>
<p>"Good."</p>
<p>Unexpectedly, she picks you up from the ground and you scream a little. Lady Dimitrescu is carrying you and you've never been this close to her face before. You blush like crazy.</p>
<p>"I'm a firm believer of the fact precious things must be preserved, rather than wasted."</p>
<p>You squeak when she places a kiss on your forehead. The Lady carries you to her castle and you nestle yourself into her neck, breathing for the first time in what felt like ages.</p>
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